The composting of a wide variety of organic materials, such as, leaves, grass clippings, small twigs, and certain household scraps that were previously viewed as trash has become an important and necessary matter for homeowners to consider. Municipal landfills are rapidly filling with trash and waste materials of all types at an alarming rate. Many municipalities have instituted recycling programs for a wide variety of materials to reduce the volume of trash being hauled to landfills and to conserve natural resources. A number of jurisdictions are now refusing to accept leaves and grass clippings requiring individual homeowners to compost these organic yard waste materials formerly transported to landfills.
Composting is a natural way of recycling organic wastes using a natural process in which the organic materials are converted by bacteria into compost which may then be used as a soil conditioner and nutritive additive. A wide variety of composting devices have appeared on the market each designed to receive organic wastes such as leaves, grass clippings, etc. therein while they are allowed to decompose, a process which under normal conditions usually requires a number of months and sometimes an entire season. It has been recognized in the art that the process of decomposition can be accelerated by using a variety of techniques. Such include the addition of moisture when the materials are dry, certain table scraps to stimulate bacterial growth, and certain additives which are currently available to speed the decomposition process. Also, it is known that the bacterial decomposition can be greatly accelerated by periodically stirring the compost pile. This is because the initial phase of the decomposition process is aerobic and proceeds most rapidly if oxygen is available around the materials being decomposed. This requires some stirring or mixing of a compost pile such as with a fork or other tool to lift materials up from the bottom and intermix them with other materials in the pile which thereby allows oxygen to reach the bacteria. However, since considerable strength is usually required for turning and mixing the materials, which must be repeated every few days for optimal benefits, this procedure often discourages many potential composters.
During the initial aerobic decomposition phase heat is generated which should be retained within the materials to keep the decomposition proceeding as rapidly as possible. Thus, the materials used to construct the composting container should have some insulating properties to restrict the rapid loss of the generated heat. At the same time, some air must be able to enter the composting chamber.
An additional requirement for a composting device is that it be sufficiently rugged to withstand heavy loads when necessary without danger of collapsing. Also, it must be sufficiently attractive in appearance so that it may be left visible in a back yard and blend with any other structures such as decks, steps or wooden fences. Additionally, the unit must be weather resistant, have an extended useful life and yet be affordable to the majority of potential users.
In order to reduce the physical labor required for stirring the composting materials, rotating drum type composters have been proposed. Various configurations of rotatable drum, such as, cylindrical and octagonal have been proposed. Other configurations have included square and octagonal. Examples of such composters are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,241,734, 3,054,663, 3,041,148 and 3,890,129. The last mentioned patent comprises an octagonal shaped metal framework that is enclosed on its sides with open-mesh material such as hardware cloth or expanded metal.